Buffon: ‘Knowing Italy past can make future less insipid’ going into World Cup 2026

Italy team manager Gigi Buffon hopes that the past can ‘inspire the path towards the future to being less insipid’ for the Nazionale.

The Azzurri delegation in the form of coach Gennaro Gattuso, captain Gianluigi Donnarumma, FIGC President Gabriele Gravina and team manager Buffon visited the Museo del Calcio exhibit at the Coverciano training camp this evening.

It contains items representing the four World Cup victories in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006, although the Nazionale have failed to qualify for the last two editions of the tournament.

Ahead of their crucial qualifiers for the 2026 competition, facing Estonia on Saturday and Israel on Tuesday, they hoped to change that trend.

Buffon looks to Italy past and future for World Cup glory

“I can say that knowing our past helps inspire the path towards the future being less insipid,” said Buffon, who was part of that 2006 World Cup winning squad along with coach Gattuso.

“I hope our future can have more colour, more human warmth. I feel that our future will have a different meaning, a deeper one.

“Having this museum is good for all the lads, all the players and the whole movement.”

Italy are playing catch-up with group leaders Norway, so unless Erling Haaland and his teammates slip up, they are heading to the play-offs to reach the 2026 World Cup.

This is the stage at which they stumbled in both 2018 and 2022.